The Locust Valley High School Unified Basketball team opened its second season at home against Manhasset High School on May 3. The unified team is an inclusive sports team that allows players and volunteers to contribute to the success of their team through their individual skills. Each athlete has the chance to take on various team and leadership roles while fostering lasting friendships. The Falcons fought hard and already looked to be in mid-season form.
Locust Valley Middle School will host Grade 6 Orientation for parents and guardians of incoming students on Wednesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in the MS/HS auditorium. There, parents and guardians will learn more about the middle school and speak with administrators. Presentation slides will be available on the district website after the orientation.
In celebration of National Library Week, Locust Valley Intermediate and Bayville Intermediate invited authors Greg Pizzoli and James Bruchac, respectively, to come to the schools on April 28 and speak to students about how they fell in love with writing.
Pizzoli is a Philadelphia-based author and illustrator known for the graphic novel series Baloney and Friends and New York Times Best Illustrated titles “Tricky Vic”, “The Quest for Z” and “Pizza! A Slice of History.” Pizzoli spoke to students about how his love for drawing and writing started at an early age and read from “Pizza! A Slice of History” in the auditorium. Fourth graders William Benazzi and Jack Scheider recreated one of Pizzoli’s graphic novel covers, which the author signed for the students.
Author, cultural educator and wilderness expert James Bruchac came to Bayville Intermediate to recount Native American folklore from his children’s books including “How Chipmunk Got His Stripes.” Bruchac taught students how these tales taught children lessons about to be safe in the wilderness and showed students animal tracks he collected on hikes.
Locust Valley Middle and High School guidance counselors are promoting healthy habits during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Counselors greeted students and distributed green ribbon stickers – the international symbol of mental health awareness – as they arrived for school on the morning of May 1.
Throughout May, high school clubs will hold themed days like “Therapy Dog Thursday,” “Random Acts of Kindness Day” and “You Are Loved Day” among others. The middle school will participate in the 31 Day Mental Wellness Challenge, which will give students tasks such as paying someone a compliment, going for a walk, and staying off social media for a day.
The counseling departments extended their efforts to the faculty as well, with the Staff Wellness Fair in the mini-theater. Staff members had the opportunity to speak to local businesses who specialize in mental and physical health and finances.
Locust Valley High School seniors donned their college colors and shared their excitement for the future at Up & Away Day on May 1. Students came to the gym, which was adorned with photos of each student provided by the High School Parents’ Council, during third and fourth periods to grab a treat, socialize with friends and tell their counselors which schools they will attend in the fall.
Locust Valley High School will welcome young athletes at this year’s Future Falcon Day on Saturday, May 13, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on the turf field. Locust Valley student-athletes from the lacrosse, baseball, softball, track and tennis teams will instruct attendees at the clinic and show them how they can become Falcons stars one day. No registration is required.
The Coordinated Parents Council will hold Meet the Candidates Night on Monday, May 8. The event will also be livestreamed on the Board of Education YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/LocustValleyBoardofEducation and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters.
Locust Valley middle and high schoolers spent late April doing their part to keep the school beautiful and promoting Earth Day activities. The high school’s Animal and Environmental Club voted on posters created by middle and high school students that portrayed the importance of protecting the environment. Sixth graders Kat Ehni, Stefano Reeves and team members Michaela Sellers and Isabella Moreano took home first, second and third place, respectively.
On April 25 and 26, middle schoolers helped care for the plants in the school courtyards as part of the Farm to Table health class project. Project coordinator Tina Hament, faculty members and the high school’s Garden Club and Animal and Environmental Club helped students tear out weeds, add soil, create compost and plant seeds in the high school and middle school gardens. The two-day program is part of the students’ nutritional unit which challenges them to think about where their food comes from.
Locust Valley and Bayville elementary schools celebrated Career Exploration Spirit Week by dressing for success. On Role Reversal Wednesday, students and teachers dressed like each other. On Thursday, students wore what they hope to wear at their jobs when they grow up for You Can Be Anything Day.
Throughout April, the elementary schools had students participate in career focused activities such as drawing themselves in the future, creating their first resumes and reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses.
The Locust Valley Central School District honored the Class of 2023’s top 15 students on April 26. Faculty, friends and family filled the mini-theater to celebrate this prestigious honor and the teachers and staff members who inspired them during their educational journey.
“It was an honor to celebrate the students and staff members,” Acting Superintendent of Schools Janine Sampino said. “These students have gone above and beyond in their academic and professional pursuits to distinguish themselves as wonderful examples for their peers.”
The district congratulates the following students and wishes them well in all their future endeavors: Faizah Akram, Isabella Craft, Sophia Del Giudice, Olivia Del Tatto, Deirdre Fallon, Elina Frey, Katherine Gu, Leonard Gu, Saira Hashmi, Paige Hawkins, Lindsay Nikolai, Eleni Papadopoulos, Jolie Pye, Clare Simon and Alisha Uduevbo. The district also thanks the numerous staff members honored for positively impacting these dedicated students.
Locust Valley High School EMS students visited the Nassau County Emergency Medical Services Academy in Old Bethpage on April 24 for a hands-on learning experience as part of their training course. The 13 high school seniors, under the supervision of Nassau County EMS trainers, surveyed a mock car accident and used tools to help evacuate and assist injured pretend passengers.
Students have met for classes with NCEMSA instructor Lindsay Falconer and Locust Valley teaching assistant Wendy Tobin at the high school after school twice a week for three hours a night since November. They will complete the course in May and can become certified emergency medical technicians if they pass the New York State exam.
The talented musicians of Locust Valley and Bayville will take the stage over the next few weeks for their spring concerts. Students and staff have rehearsed for months and are excited to share their work with the community. Concerts start this week with the high school on Tuesday, April 25 and the sixth grade on April 27, continue next week with the seventh and eighth grades on Wednesday, May 3, and the co-curricular show on Thursday, May 4 and culminate with the Locust Valley Intermediate concert on Tuesday, May 9 and the Bayville Intermediate concert on Thursday, May 11. All concerts will start at 7 p.m. in the MS/HS auditorium and will also livestream at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4qiQRMG5cfVz8dUHUdm2w/featured.
To help Locust Valley High School’s 10th and 11th grade students prepare for their upcoming searches, the district hosted an interactive College Night in the school gymnasium in mid-April. Representatives from a hundred higher education institutions were on hand to speak with students and provide information about their respective schools. Students were provided green shopping bags courtesy of the LVHS counseling department to use when gathering literature from the many institutions in attendance.
The Locust Valley Central School District has been named a 2023 Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). This is the fifth year in a row the district has received this national honor.
The distinction recognizes Locust Valley CSD as one of the top 830 school districts in the nation for music education. The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to district and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education.
“This recognition is a testament to the commitment of our school district, our talented music educators and our dedicated students who continually strive for excellence in music education,” AnnMarie Buonaspina, the district’s Coordinator of Instructional Technology and the Fine and Applied Arts, said. “We will continue to inspire, nurture and celebrate the power of music in our schools and our community.”
Show your school spirit tomorrow and wear green!
Members of the Locust Valley Central School District community are taking over Adventureland on Wednesday, April 19, from 5-9 p.m. The park will only be open to the LVCSD community. Tickets can only be purchased from the Bayville Elementary Parents’ Council here: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/lvcsd-adventureland?cart=7d959573-e9b2-4c07-9864-ed0a588d7db2%21%2150319748. Sales will close at 8 p.m. on April 18 and tickets cannot be purchased at the park on April 19. Email, call or text Lorie Minicozzi at bepcpresident@gmail.com or 516-448-7872.
Members of the Locust Valley Central School District community are taking over Adventureland on Wednesday, April 19, from 5-9 p.m. The park will only be open to the LVCSD community. Purchase tickets from the Bayville Elementary Parents’ Council here: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/lvcsd-adventureland?cart=7d959573-e9b2-4c07-9864-ed0a588d7db2%21%2150319748. Hurry before they sell out! Email, call or text Lorie Minicozzi at bepcpresident@gmail.com or 516-448-7872.
Student film makers from a dozen Long Island schools came to Locust Valley High School on March 30 for the 17th Annual Film Festival to showcase their creative projects.
Judges with industry experience including directing segments for “Sesame Street” and screen credits for “A Beautiful Mind,” “Sex and the City” and “Spin City” joined the students in the auditorium during the school day watched the 77 films in the fields of animation, comedy, commercial, documentary, drama, music video, public service announcement and trailer. Judges awarded the drama project “Tides” top honors, sending the film to the Long Island International Film Expo in July. Students also got to vote on their favorite project.
The Locust Valley High School Parents’ Council provided refreshments outside the auditorium to add to the theater experience.
Please see the attached letters for a message from the superintendent as we head into spring break.
Ann MacArthur Primary School students went to Disney World without leaving the building last week as physical education teacher Maribeth Miller recreated the theme park in the gymnasium from March 27-30.
Mrs. Miller spent hours setting up the elaborate theme park, which saw students drive scooters through a highway and park at stations with Disney-themed books, games and activities like a drive-in movie theater showing Disney classics and a drawing station. Students also stopped at a gas station to refuel their scooters for multiple trips through the park.
Disney Days is a tradition Mrs. Miller has had for over 20 years that has touched the lives of hundreds of students as evidenced by the letters, pictures and scrapbooks from alumni decorating the walls.
